Four young agricultural technology (AgriTech) innovators have emerged as the winners of the AYuTe NextGen 2025 competition at a function held in Kampala, Uganda.
Developed and hosted by Heifer International, AYuTe NextGen is an African platform for youth-led
agricultural innovation—designed to empower young people in shaping the future of food.
During the awards evening at Speke Resort Hotel in Munyonyo,Carolyn Mwangi, the founder and CEO of Kimplanter Seedlings and Nurseries (Kenya), whose data- driven enterprise supplies climate-resilient vegetable, fruit, and tree seedlings tailored for smallholder farmers was announced the overall winner in the climate-smart agriculture category.
Maryanne Gichanga, the CEO of Agritechs Analytics (Kenya) was the first runners up and recognized for her solar-powered farm sensors that enable pest alerts, soil health monitoring, and remote farm management via mobile tools.
On the other side, Nana Opoku, the CEO of Grow For Me from Ghana was declared the overall winner in the access to finance and markets category.
Opoku's digital platform empowers individuals to invest in crops managed by experienced farmers, sharing profits post-harvest.
On the other side, Richies Attai, Co-Founder and CEO of Winich Farms (Nigeria), whose end-to-end tech
platform connects farmers directly to factories and provides bundled credit and insurance solutions was announced the first runner up in this category.
Speaking during the function, the minister of state for ICT and National Guidance, Godfrey Kabbyanga hailed Heifer International for the AYuTe Africa Challenge which aims to empower young entrepreneurs.
“We cant wait for Americans to feed us when they cant feed themselves. They import food and then send it to Africa to feed us. It is a total shame that we Africans who grow food turn around and say we have hunger. We must feed ourselves as Africans and with technology, these young people are going to make things simple," Kabbyanga said.
He called upon African governments to put in place an enabling environment for startups and ICT solutions to solve challenges in agriculture.
“The policies must encourage our people to go for homegrown ICT solutions so that we can also protect our consumers. In this line, the Ugandan government is linking ICT innovators with mentors and global markets but also setting up ICT hubs to support young people work from a conducive environment to come up with different innovations,” Kabbyanga said.
Winners' moment
Speaking after receiving the award, Carolyn Mwangi said the recognition means so much,
not just to her, but to her entire team at Kimplanter.
"We have always believed that building resilience for smallholder farmers starts with something as simple, yet powerful, as the right seedlings. Winning AYuTe NextGen is not just a milestone for our team, its a sign that Africa’s agricultural future will be shaped by innovation, data, and the determination of young entrepreneurs like us,"Mwangi said.
Reflecting on the impact of the award, Nana Opoku shared, "This opportunity validates our work and marks the beginning of a major shift for Ghana’s smallholder farmers. It will go a long way in unlocking financial opportunities, bringing greater stability, increasing incomes, and providing protection against crop losses. This win is not just ours, it is a win for smallholder farmers across Ghana.”
Adesuwa Ifedi, Senior Vice President, Africa Programs at Heifer International said this is not just a mere competition but an initiative meant to transform agriculture using youths.
“These young agripreneurs are unlocking opportunities at every stage of the agricultural value chain. They’re driving a revolution in how we grow food, share information, and respond to climate challenges. We are here to help connect the dots in this powerful movement, because when youth and technology come together, they become catalysts for change," she said.
Held in Kampala, AYuTe NextGen 2025 united innovators and partners from across Africa, including Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Senegal, fostering crucial
collaboration for the future of food.